Departures of note

In 1983, at the age of 11, Brian Zimmerman won a landslide election to become mayor of Crabb, Texas, receiving 23 of the 30 votes cast. His sole campaign promise was to incorporate the unincorporated community of roughly 200 people to prevent annexation by neighboring cities such as Houston. The incorporation effort became a hard-fought battle, as many residents feared higher taxes, but Zimmerman argued that annexation would bring even greater tax burdens and that incorporation would give the town control over its own rates.

A major obstacle was that Texas law required mayors of incorporated communities to be at least 18 years old, meaning successful incorporation would force Zimmerman out of office. He nonetheless supported the referendum, stating, 'The mayor isn't there to sit and worry about keeping his job. He's there to do what's best for the people.' The incorporation bid ultimately failed, but Zimmerman was reelected as mayor afterward. During his first two years in office, he reportedly had one of Crabb's roads paved.

Zimmerman's unusual mayorship drew worldwide attention, including coverage in People magazine and The New York Times, and in 1986 his story was chronicled in the made-for-television film Lone Star Kid. He died of a heart attack in Houston on September 20, 1996, at age 24. As of 2008, Crabb remained unincorporated and had not been annexed either during or after his life.